Rotary steam-engine.



No. 632,928. Patented Sept. l2, I899; N. W. &. W. P. SMITH.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(Applicatim; filed Nov. 28, 1898.

(No Model.)

I 72126122 0715? W W No. 632,928. Patented Sept. [2, I899.

N. W. & W. P. SMITH.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(Application filed NOV. 28, 1895.;

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I Z6 666L966 fiverii'ora:

I JVZFOrL 06? p6; am an... afigyJ No. 632,928. Patented Sept. 12,1899.N. W. 8:. W. P. SMITH.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(Application filed Nov 28, 1893.; (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 3.

No. 632,928. Patented Sept. l2, I899. N. W. &. W. P. SMITH.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

{Application filed Nqv. 28, 1893.;

' No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

THE roams PEYERS on. PHOTO-L|YHO., WASHINGTON D. c,

Mann STATES PATENT mes.

NELSON W1 SMITH AND \VILLIAM P. SMITH, OF OARTIIAGE, MISSOURI.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

faPECIFIOATION f rming part of Letters Patent No. 632,928, datedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed November 28, 1898. Serial No. 697,684. (No model.)

To all 71171.07 it may concern:

Be it known that we, NELSON \V. SMITH and WILLIAM 1. Saturn, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRotary Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to rotary steam-engines; and its primary objectsare to provide an improved construction of steam-engine in whichdead-centers are avoided and in which the full effective motive power ofthe steam will be utilized.

The novel features of the invention will be fully describedhereinafterand defined in the appended claims, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodyingour invention, parts being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig.2 through the cylinder only, the piston and other elements beingremoved. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the rotary piston. Fig.5 is a side elevation of the cylinder. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section onthe line 6 6 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 7 isa perspective view of the steam-chest detached. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveView of the reversingvalve mechanism. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are de tailviews of the steam-block. Fig. 12 is an elevation of one of theeccentric piston guides or cams. Figs. 13, 14, and 15 are detail viewsof one of the pistons and its supporting-rods and guide.

The reference-numeral 1 designates a frame or support to which issecured by Vertical rods 2 a cylinder-block comprising two sections 3and 4, formed on each side with a continuous annular groove 5.

G designates a rotary piston provided with a groove or concave periphery7 and recesses at its opposite edges 8 to coincide with the annulargrooves 5 of the cylinder to form annular seats for rings 9, suitablepacking being employed in connection with said rings to form steam-tightjoints.

10 is a shaft on whichthe piston 6 is fixed, extending through thecylinder and carrying a driving-pulley 11. The shaft 10 is sup ported inbearing-blocks 12 and 13, supported on opposite sides of the cylinder bybrackets 14, said brackets having diverging legs 15, secured to thesupport 1. The bearing-blocks are secured by vertical bolts 16 and areadjustable by means of adjustingscrews 17. The upper section 3 of thecylinder is provided on its inner surface with projections 18 and 19,serving as guides to be struck by sliding piston-heads 20 and 20,carried by the rotary piston. The guides 18 and 10 are separated by aspace 20", within which is located a block 21, carrying a spring pressedcollar On each side of the block 21 the cylinder is provided with asteam-port 23 and 24, one of which serves as an inlet and the other asan outlet port. These ports communicate with a steam-chest 25, having asteam-supply pipe 26 and oppositely-arranged ports 27 and 28.

The rotary piston 6 is formed with two diametrically opposite radialchannels 29 and 30, extending through the periphery of the piston andcommunicating with slots 31 in the opposite sides thereof. Vithin thesechannels are located the sliding piston-heads 20 and 20", each of whichis provided at its inner end with a cross-rod 32, the ends of whichextend through the slots 31 and are provided with rods 33, which extendthrough guides 34, secured by means of perforated lugs 35 to theopposite sides of the cylinder and serve to close the slots 31. Theinner ends of the rods 33 are each provided with a shoe 36. These shoesare adapted to travel in contact with stationary cams or eccentrictrackways 37, arranged one on either side of the cylinder and secured tothe latter by diverging arms 38, having slotted cars 39, which permit ofthe vertical adjustment of the guides 37.

Within the steam-chest 25 is arranged a slide-valve (shown in Fig. 8)comprising parallel plates and 41, connected by a rod 42, to which issecured an operating-rod 43, terminating in a handle 44. Thisslide-valve device controls the ports in the steam-chest and permits thereversal of the engine, as will be hereinafter further explained.

The operation of the mechanism thus described is as follows: Referringto Fig. 1, steam enters the space between the concave periphery of thepiston 6 and the wall of the cylinder through the inlet-port 23 andpasses, as indicated by the arrow, to the left of the steam-block 21 toforce the piston-head 20 to the right. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, whenthe piston-head 20 is in its projected position (caused by the contactof its shoes with the lower portions of the cam-trackways 37) theopposite piston-head 20 is forced inward by contact with the guide 19.The continued movement of the piston-head 20 permits the steam toexhaust through the port 24; but before this occurs the otherpiston-head 20 has moved beyond the guide 13, and has consequently beenprojected by the contact of its shoes with the trackways 37 intoposition to receive the impact of the inflowing steam. Thus before thepiston 20 has reached the guide 19 the other head 20 is renderedoperative, and hence the revolution of the piston 6 is effected withoutshock or jar, and deadcenters are entirely avoided. To reverse theengine, it is only necessary to operate the slide-valve mechanism sothat the port 24 will become the inlet and port 23 the exhaust port.

\Ve claim 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinderprovided with steam inlet and exhaust ports, and with piston-guides, ofa block between the inlet and exhaust ports, a rotary piston providedwith radial slots and having its periphery of concave form, piston-headssliding in said slots, a transverse rod secured to each of thepiston-heads and provided at its ends with arms 33 carrying shoes, andeccentric guides or trackways on the outer sides of the cylinder withwhich said shoes contact.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder provided withsteam inlet and exhaust ports, and with piston-guides, of a blockbetween the ports, a rotary piston formed with diametrically oppositeslots, and having its periphery grooved or concaved, pistonheads slidingin said slots, a transverse rod secured to each of the piston-heads andprovided at its ends with arms 33 carrying shoes, cams or eccentrictrackways with which the shoes contact, and adjustable supports for saidtrackways.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder and the rotarypiston, provided with diametrically opposite radial channels,

and with slots in its sides communicating with said channels,ofpiston-heads arranged within said channels, means within the cylinderfor forcing said heads inward, and means for forcing said heads outward,comprising transverse rods having parallel arms carrying shoes, andworking in guides covering the slots in the piston, and an eccentrictrackway or cam on each side of the cylinder, with which the shoescontact.

4:. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with the base or support,of the sectional cylinder provided with guides at its upper sideseparated by a steam-block, and formed with annular grooves, a rotarypiston formed with edge recesses coinciding with the grooves of thecylinder, rings for closing the spaces between the cylinder and piston,sliding piston-heads provided with transverse rods parallel arms andcontact-shoes, and eccentric trackways or cams on opposite sides of thecylinder on which said shoes travel.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures in presence of twowitnesses.

NELSON IV. SMITH. NVILLIAM P. SMITH.

Vitnesses:

R. O. MOOORKHILL, H. M. SPENCER.

